COMPANY
Our story
With offices in Los Angeles CA, Irvine CA, and Salt Lake City, UT, Taycor Financial has been a part of business growth and development for nearly 30 years. Our customers are on Main Street, not Wall Street, and our mission statement reflects that.
Our goal is to provide first-class service and a full array of financial products ranging from equipment leasing and financing to lines of credit and working capital. Whether you are a startup or a well established landmark in your community, Taycor has multiple financing programs that will fit your business needs.
“The essence of finance is time travel. Saving is about moving resources from the present into the future; financing is about moving resources from the future back into the present.”
Matt Levine – Bloomberg View
Meet Our Team
We strive to provide excellent service, advice, and access to capital through our dedicated team of leasing and finance professionals.
Have questions? We’ll have a Taycor representative address your needs & guide you every step of the way.
CEO, President
Michael Hong
Michael Hong is the CEO, President and a member of the board of directors.
Michael Hong was raised in Texas and started his career in Georgia. Prior to joining Taycor Financial, Mr. Hong started his career in equipment leasing and financing in 2001 in the proverbial mailroom as an intern for an east coast company. He transitioned and gained experience through multiple roles at the company finally serving as the VP of Business Development before moving to California.
Mr. Hong joined the Taycor Team in 2011 as the Director of Business Development. He was responsible for the company’s development of several key technologies and process efficiencies that were pivotal to the last several years of growth and evolution. In 2015, Mr. Hong was promoted to President and CEO where he leads the overall growth and operational strategy for the company. Mr. Hong is married to Mimi, and they have 2 young daughters, a toddler Evelyn and a newborn Gracie. He no longer has free time but used to enjoy Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and staying active.
Chief Operating Officer
Melissa Fisher
Melissa Fisher is the Chief Operating Officer.
Melissa Fisher was raised in Arizona and received her BS in Economics and Business from the prestigious Westmont College in Santa Barbara.
After graduating, Mrs. Fisher was hired by Santa Barbara Bank & Trust and became a Certified Leasing & Finance Professional (CLFP). Later, she took senior-level equipment finance positions in Operations, Credit & Syndication at Balboa Capital, Strada, and Currency before starting at Taycor in 2019.
Mrs. Fisher loves camping, skiing and going to the beach with her husband and two children.
Chief Financial Officer
Kevin Voong
Kevin Voong is the Chief Financial Officer.
Kevin Voong is the CFO of Taycor Financial as of March 2022. He is responsible for leading Taycor’s overall financial activities and finance organization, including accounting and controllership, financial planning and analysis, tax, and treasury. Mr. Voong was born in Vietnam and grew up in Southern California.
Prior to joining Taycor Financial, Mr. Voong served as Corporate Treasurer at Lendistry where he built a high performing treasury department. He has over 25 years of financial leadership experience in financial services and technology companies with include GE Digital, GE Capital, Toyota Financial Services and Intel Corporation. He spent nearly half of professional life internationally in Asia which included Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore before returning stateside.
Kevin holds BA degrees in Mathematics and Economics from University of California at Los Angeles and an MBA from University of Southern California. He and his wife have three children and live in Irvine, CA.
Chief Technology Officer
Daniel Stangu
Daniel Stangu is the Chief Technology Officer.
Daniel Stangu was born and raised in Romania (Transylvania). He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, majoring in software design and implementation.
Mr. Stangu draws on over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He began his career as a quality engineer but has held various positions over the years focused on better scaling products. Additionally, his background includes experience in communication media, technology companies, and retail as well as taking responsibility for the product development portfolio in banking and financial services at Cognizant Softvision. He joined Taycor as Chief Technology Officer in 2022.
In 2006, Daniel and his wife moved to the US, which they now call home. In his spare time, Mr. Stangu enjoys spending time with his wife and two children. Their activities include all kinds of gardening projects and bicycle trips to the beach. He has also been a middle school volleyball coach and is waiting for a chance to coach again.
Vice President of Funding
Jill Winbauer
Jill Winbauer is the Vice President of Funding and an advisor to the board of directors.
Jill Winbauer was born and raised in Southern California. Ms. Winbauer studied Psychology at Loyola Marymount University while playing Division 1 soccer for the Lions women’s team. After graduation she joined DiTech.com, and worked in the fast-paced mortgage industry.
In 2004, Ms. Winbauer made a move to the equipment finance and leasing industry and joined Taycor. She started out as the Director of HR and Recruiting, and later moved to the credit and operations department. In 2012, Ms. Winbauer was promoted to Vice President of Operations, and maintains relationships with Taycor’s primary bank sources, and overseas the credit and operations staff.
Ms. Winbauer is married to Kyle, and they have 2 young boys, Gavin and Cruz. In her free time, Ms. Winbauer enjoys spending time outdoors, at the beach, local parks, and playing sports with her boys.
Vice President of Risk
Bryan Smith
Bryan Smith is the Vice President of Risk.
Bryan oversees all aspects of risk as well as the management of the Taycor Portfolio, Vendor Relationships, and Internal Audit. Bryan is also responsible for the development and implementation of Taycor’s internal policies and procedures. Bryan has over 22 years of finance experience and has held various senior-level positions within Credit, Collections, Credit Modeling, and Portfolio Management.
Prior employers include The CIT Group, Wex Bank, Zions Bank, Pacific Western Bank, Marlin Business Bank, and Aztec Financial. Bryan earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Brigham Young University, and successfully completed the Zions Bank financial and analysis training program as well as the Executive Management Training program from the Utah Bankers Association.
Bryan enjoys service in his local community. Service organizations include the Red Cross, Boy Scouts of America, and Junior Achievement of Utah. He currently serves as the Secretary to the Board for the Sandy City Arts Guild in Sandy, Utah. During his free time, Bryan enjoys theater, exercise, and spending time with his family.
Vice President of Credit
Jared Gutierrez
Jared Gutierrez is the Vice President of Credit.
Jared is a California native, growing up in Los Angeles near South Gate. He received his BS in Political Science from Long Beach State University in 2001 and started in commercial finance that same year.
Prior to joining Taycor in 2018, Mr. Gutierrez worked for Timepayments and Genesis Capital. All told, Mr. Gutierrez has over 18 years in the commercial finance space and loves analyzing deals.
In his free time, Mr. Gutierrez likes to run Ragnar Races, study history and travel with family and friends.
Vice President of Working Capital
Nicole Floge, CLFP
Nicole Floge is the Vice President of Working Capital.
Nicole Floge was raised in New York and attended college at SUNY Farmingdale. In 2011, Ms. Floge relocated to California from New York, primarily to escape the snow and enjoy the endless sunshine. Prior to joining Taycor, Ms. Floge was a Regional Sales Manager for Westlake Financial. This was where her passion for finance began. Leading Working Capital Operations at Taycor since 2017, Ms. Floge has assisted in building out this division along with recruitment and training.
In her free time, Nicole enjoys life at the beach, biking (electric bike), cooking and hosting dinners.
Sr. Vice President
Drew Olynick, CLFP
Drew Olynick is the Sr. Vice President and a member of the board of directors.
Drew Olynick was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. Mr. Olynick’s path to California began in New York where he played hockey at Union College and studied Economics. After college, he began his career with Mellon Bank and later Morgan Stanley Chase Bank before moving west.
In 2003, Mr. Olynick joined Taycor as an Account Executive. During his tenure, he served in a number of capacities including Sales Manager and VP of Sales. In 2007, Mr. Olynick became a partner in Taycor’s Boston office and oversaw its opening and growth. In 2010, he returned to California to continue as VP of Sales and grow originations. Today as Partner, he continues to oversee a team of originators along with handling Taycor’s syndication. Mr. Olynick earned his Certified Leasing and Finance Professional (“CLFP”) designation in 2016 and became a member of NEFA. He continues to be passionate about building relationships and providing financing solutions.
Mr. Olynick is married with 2 children. In his free time he helps coach his son’s club hockey team as well as play on a team of his own. He enjoys snowboarding, the beach, and spending time with his family.
Vice President of Sales
Vu Nguyen
Vu Nguyen is the Vice President of Sales.
Vu Nguyen was born in Vietnam and moved to California in 1995. After graduating high school Mr. Nguyen joined the US Marine Corp. in 2000. After serving his country, Mr. Nguyen attended Loma Linda University in 2010 and entered the wonderful world of commercial finance.
In 2018, Mr. Nguyen joined Taycor after holding several senior-level sales roles at Strada, Currency and BofA. Mr. Nguyen has been in the equipment finance space for over a decade and leverages his intimate knowledge of the finance process to position Taycor Financial as an ideal partner. Mr. Nguyen also built and runs Taycor’s Irvine office.
Mr. Nguyen is happily married and a father of 2 beautiful children. He enjoys time with the family and considers himself a foodie, enjoying trying new cuisines from around the world.
Vice President of Marketing & Business Development
Eric Foster
Eric Foster is the Vice President of Marketing & Business Development.
Eric Foster was raised in Kansas and Southern California, and started his career in Lima, Peru.
Prior to joining Taycor, Mr. Foster spent 20 years developing high-impact revenue generating initiatives for Tech, Fintech, and brick & mortar businesses, including j2 Global, KeepItSafe, SugarSync, Currency and AquaWorks.
Mr. Foster has been leading marketing initiatives in Fintech since 2017 and joined Taycor in 2019.
Mr. Foster is married with 3 children. In his free time he likes to cook, surf, ski, camp and spending time with family.
Vice President of Human Resources
Leanna Lodato
Leanna Lodato is the Vice President of Human Resources.
Leanna Lodato was born and raised in the East Bay Area of Northern California. She moved to Los Angeles to study Sociology at Loyola Marymount University, where she grew to love Southern California. Following graduation, she held administrative roles in legal and educational industries before ultimately setting her sights on Human Resources. Later, she went on to earn her Master of Science in Human Resources at Pepperdine University.
Mrs. Lodato began her HR management career working in manufacturing and engineering industries, as well as in public media. During this time, she developed Human Resources departments and facilitated the development of organizational structure and growth. In 2021 she joined Taycor as the Director of Human Resources.
In her free time, Mrs. Lodato enjoys traveling with her husband, son, and their dog. She especially loves being outside and enjoying the beautiful Southern California weather.
What to Expect when Working with Taycor
We succeed when you do! Our efforts are centered around growing strong relationships through an extraordinary emphasis on customer service – we serve our customers and for the equipment vendors that supply them.
We strive to achieve the following with each opportunity you afford us:
Open Communication
Though Taycor has experienced incredible growth over the years — making the Inc. 500 list of Fastest Growing Companies in America — we have made it a point to not let it go to our heads.
Senior management is not insulated by layers of directors and supervisors, but instead is available both internally and externally for real-time open communication.
Expert Advice
Professional guidance and great customer experience starts with a commitment to training each and every Taycor team member.
From front-end customer service and account executives to credit, operations, and billing, each member of our team is well trained and well treated so that the culture of care is pervasive with each customer interaction & at every stage of the process.
Quality
We believe that excellence begins with a commitment to improvement, continued education, as well as accountability to industry peers and licensure boards.
Taycor is a proud member of the National Equipment Finance Association, a certified, licensed lender, and has Certified Leasing & Financing Professionals in its ranks.
Honesty
It’s simple: do what you say, and say what you mean. There is a reason why more than 50% of Taycor clients come back as repeat customers.
We operate with the belief that honesty is the best policy, even when things are hard to say and difficult to hear. If there is a challenge, expect to know upfront. However, our team of experts will guide you through each step of the process and seek out solutions.
Transparency
We are a part of the community we serve. Our families and friends walk through the doors just as often as our customers.
Come take a tour virtually or in person, and look behind the curtain to see how each finance application is processed, how credit decisions are rendered, and the friendly faces that are here to make your experience as smooth and seamless as possible.
Active Listening
When you speak, we listen. What you say matters, and your experience from the first call to your very last payment with us is shaped by our entire team listening to what you need.
Thank you for your feedback, we have heard from 1,000s of past customers as well as potential customers so that we can continue to improve and provide the products you need.
Lending
Taycor structures custom lease or finance programs that align with your business or personal goals & objectives. It’s easy & affordable access to capital!
Partnerships
Increase your bottom line by making it easier for your customers to buy. We help make financing a seamless extension of your existing sales process.
Fintech Solutions
We deliver an easy to implement, fully digital experience that uses technology to enhance and streamline the finance process through every step of the way.